


Before the Game Could Begin

by Starlessmelody



Series: The Game Never Started [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Dies, Angst, Bullying, Demon AU, Dying alone, Gen, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Minor Character Death, Multiple Deaths, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Stabbing, Suicide, ghost - Freeform, just generally a lot of death, makoto niijima exclusion, or well almost everyone, referenced injuries, yokai technically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-05-28 09:45:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19391560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlessmelody/pseuds/Starlessmelody
Summary: A series of chapters depicting the deaths of the phantom thieves in an alternate universe where Akira never transfers and they all become demons or angels in the afterlife





	1. In the case of Ryuji Sakamoto

Shujin Academy to the outside world it’s a perfectly nice even well-regarded school. For students who participate in sports, it’s hell. Messing up during practice could leave you covered in bruises, well even if you didn’t you could. Anyone in sports was a potential punching bag for Kamoshida. It was the volleyball team or anyone who threatened to outshine it that had it the worst of all.

The track team had been doing great even before the incident with Ryuji Sakamoto. A confrontation between student and coach that had ended in shattered bone. So much for being a track star. A month later the boy’s leg still healing not that he would ever be able to run the same and now his club had nowhere to practice. Ryuji’s classmates blamed him for it and finally today he stopped showing up to support their practicing elsewhere. He wasn’t wanted, so finally he left.

Instead today he lingered in the hall of the school a bit longer. He looked upset at finally accepting it. Before finally starting to go home, the man he saw as the devil approached. “You finally get the message? Your old friends don’t want a stupid traitor like you around.”

“Yeah, here to rub it in? It’s all your fault they don’t have a place to practice anyway! Breaking my leg wasn’t enough for a rotten guy like you. You had to take away their space.”

“Oh well aren’t you acting righteous today. You know what. Why don’t I offer you a little deal? You never show your ugly face around here again Sakamoto and I’ll let the track team be reinstated. A delinquent like you doesn’t belong in this school anyway.”

Shujin was a good school… sure he could probably transfer to somewhere else decent, but he didn’t want to disappoint his mother more than he already had. If it really meant the others could run again, though maybe it’d be worth it. His own shot at an athletic scholarship were crushed. The others could possibly make it work if they got a second chance.

“Even if I did how do I know someone like you would keep his word?”

“You don’t but keep showing up and I’ll probably find an excuse to get you removed from this school anyway punk. Either you go willingly, or I’ll be gladly waiting for any chance to expel you.”

“Haven’t you ruined my life enough?”

“You’re the one who got in my way.”

“Whatever buzz off.” He said storming off as fast as his leg brace would let him.

When he got home that night his phone blew up with messages from the track team. The messages varied, but the sentiment was clear you better not come back to school this is your one chance to make it up to us. It figured Kamoshida had told them. Great he didn’t want to show his face there tomorrow. He wasn’t sure he wanted to show it anywhere really. His track team had been his main friends. The only other person he even recognized at school was, that girl, Ann. He barely ever talked to her beyond maybe a half-hearted hello gesture between classes. That didn’t really count for anything.

Even if he did change schools would he be able to make new friends. Would his bad reputation follow him everywhere? What did he even have going for himself? His track career was ended. Studying was not his strong suit at all. That just left supporting his mother, but he was a burden at this point, wasn’t he? It’d be easier to only have to take care of herself than be dragged down by a bad son like him.

The thoughts continued spiraling ever downward, reaching an undesirable conclusion. That he should rid himself from this world.

A suicide.

The blonde haired ‘punk’ was found dead on the tracks. He’d caught the train that morning alright, only it was the express line to hell.

Hell, a place he could finally feel welcome. His new form was an interesting one. No wings were to be given to this new demon. He had horns upon his head and scarlet marks on his face in the shape of skull as if painted on there the rest of his face was a pale white. His mouth was now slightly fanged. Thus began his life as an oni.


	2. In The Case of Ann

Ryuji would not find himself to be the first or last person tormented by Kamoshida. Not even close.

Ann Takamaki awkwardly sat in the passenger seat of the teacher’s car. She’d been too rushed to grab an umbrella that morning, and he offered her an escape form the rain on the walk to school. It wasn’t the only time she’d done this. She tried her best to avoid it. When he offered though it always felt like she’d be in trouble if she refused or if not her, her friend Shiho. At least the drive was short. Not that it would be ever short enough for her to like it.

The way he’d glance over and have his eyes wander to places they really shouldn’t be was one of the worst feelings. She felt relieved when they reached the front of the school. His voice interrupted her starting to leave the car.

“So, Ann before you go won’t you reconsider my offer to take you out after school sometime?”

“I’ve had a lot of modeling work and studying to do lately... I’ll have to get back to you on that later.”

“If you keep saying no, I might have to bench your friend Shiho form playing for awhile. She was almost hurt last practice anyway. Maybe it’d be best if I have her stick to the sidelines.”

“I understand sir. I just really have been busy… I’ll make the time eventually.”

She slid out of the car with a slight sigh. He’d been pressuring her into spending more time with him lately by saying he’d take away her friend’s position on the volleyball team.

The rest of the week was going by normally. She avoided Kamoshida as much as possible. It was like any other week, but in a moment everything changed. The class’s teacher was drowned out by shouting and everyone rushed to the halls to look out the window. An pushed another student out of the way to see. 

It was Shiho. She stood just past the railing of the school roof looking down at the hard courtyard ground. Then suddenly she dropped. She left a sickening thud onto the earth below, unheard over the cries of shock. It was all over in an instant. 

Ann slowly backed away from the window eyes wide. She couldn’t believe what she saw. Her friend had to be okay right? 

She sprinted down the hallway away from class and down the stairs to the courtyard. She had to see Shiho. There wasn’t a lot of blood that she could see. The volleyball player looked up weakly from the ground.

“Ann..? I’m sorry..” She spoke weakly. “I couldn’t take it a-anymore.”

“Shiho?”

She mumbled quietly saying what had pushed her to the edge.

“Kamoshida!?” 

She held her injured friend’s hand. “H-Hang on alright?”

She knew someone must have called the paramedics by now. She waited impatiently watching her best friend’s eyes close. She gently shaked her trying to keep her conscious, but it was no use.

When the ambulance finally arrived, she went with them. Now she sat in a waiting room hoping it would be okay. Her foot tapped the floor nervously. When her friend’s family got there she still didn’t leave. Eventually a doctor came out a grim look on his face.

The internal bleeding had been too much for them to save her.

Ann went home silently after awhile. There was no one to greet her there. Her parents were overseas, and even if she called them it wouldn’t change what happened. She screamed and cried into her pillow thinking about all the things she could’ve done better. How could she not have realized it was that bad? Why didn’t Shiho trust her enough to tell her?

What kind of a friend was so useless!?

She didn’t come into school the next day.

What could she even do? Confronting Kamoshida was out of the question. If she went by herself, she might get hurt or worse. The chances of convincing anyone to come with her were slim, and even if they did what then he’d probably get them all expelled for harassing him.

It all felt so hopeless.

There was no easy way to change things. No feasible way to rebel. 

She wanted her friend back. She couldn’t get her friend back, but maybe she could see her again a different way. Dying was an acceptable punishment for failing to protect your friend anyway wasn’t it?   
Ann Takamaki was found dead in her bathtub a week after the death of Shiho Suzui. Her arms cut by razors. 

Whispers took over the school halls that Shujin was becoming cursed. Two people dead in such a short time, and earlier in the year that punkish boy. They said if you went up to the school roof on cloudy days you could see the ghost of Shiho getting ready to take her final plunge again. That you could hear her crying in the halls when no one else was around.

Meanwhile, in hell a new demon arrived. A blonde girl with horns, a slender tail that ended in a heart and hands with sharp claws. She could take on a different appearance if she so pleased, though that of a hellish panther. One form to draw people in, and the other to tear them apart.


	3. Interlude: Conversation with a ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus short storyline I guess, this wasn't originally planned for this fic, but I feel like adding it in. Will likely expand upon in a different fic.

Yuuki Mishima sat on the school roof. It had been a few months since that tragic incident, and the school had long gone back to leaving the door to the roof unlocked even if no was allowed up there. Classes and unearned beatings as usual.

Not that Yuuki ever came up on days she was around. In fact, he made sure he was alone when he visited the roof. He didn’t want anyone to interrupt his conversations. He knew how crazy it looked, talking quietly to what looked like the air. He saw more than that. He saw the ghost of a girl he once knew.

They weren’t exactly good friends, but they shared a similar pain.

“I-I’m sorry… everyone didn’t do more to prevent this Suzui. I wish y-you could’ve made it to graduation.”

The bandaged boy looked down at the ground pausing before he spoke again.

“I-I… think I finally found something though a way to make Kamoshida pay for everything he did. If I could just make a deal with a demon using what I learned online and from the library... I know it sounds crazy, but I can see you so there’s a chance other spirits are real right?”

The specter he spoke to just lightly glanced to the ground. “Yeah, but If you do go through with something like that be careful… I don’t want you to end up like me, Mishima.”

“Don’t worry… I promised you the first time I came up here to graduate, and I won’t break it. No matter how much anything hurts. I just hope if this works maybe you can rest.”

She sighed. “It’d be nice if he was gone.”


	4. The End of Yusuke Kitagawa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yusuke's turn to die.

Yusuke Kitagawa had been doing fine. He was going to school for art and living with Madarame. When did it all fall apart?

If he was honest everything had been falling apart a long time slowly, but surely. So many times, people would leave claiming his sensei had wronged them. Finally, it was his own turn to leave. He couldn’t ignore the problems anymore. If only he could’ve left on better terms.

His former teacher had gotten him kicked from school by spreading rumors after their final argument. Nobody wanted to give him a chance. His sensei claiming he’d plagiarized had ruined him.

He was having trouble finding a place to stay lamenting his choices, as tonight he was caught in the rain.

“I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

He sighed. Even if he had stayed quiet, though he knew after all those heated words about him being there for the other’s benefit he would’ve been thrown away eventually. In the end he’d only accelerated the process. Why couldn’t Madarame actually care? How could someone be this cold…. someone he had considered family ready to throw him out the door when he was no longer useful.

He hated it. His clothes were soaked, and tears of frustration welled up in his eyes but were hidden by the rain.

Passing by an ally on the rather empty streets. He felt a tug on his shoulder. He turned to face a rather rough looking man. He didn’t notice the switchblade in the stranger’s hand.

“Hey pretty boy got anything valuable?”

“I have nothing like that. So, leave me alone you cur.”

“Heh, that’s some pretty insult you got there., but not the answer I was looking for pretty boy. How about you pay me with your pain instead…”

“What the he-“

He felt a sudden pain in his side. Then more in his chest. He clutched his side, his white shirt, and hands stained crimson.

“B-Bastard.”

The stranger didn’t wound him further simply watching with a twisted grin on his face at the artist’s pain. The man let out a sinister laugh piercing through the rain. Yusuke started trying to walk away to get help. Leaning greatly on the walls of nearby buildings for support. The streets were empty. No one to cry out to, he was all alone in an unfamiliar part of town.

“Damn it. Damn it all. I hope sensei and everyone else burns in hell.”

His want for vengeance on his caretaker didn’t allow Yusuke’s soul to rest easy. His spirit became that of a big fox seemingly made of blue flames. A more human like appearance was available to him, but without further trickery a tail and ears were clearly visible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this one isn't as good as the other chapters. Some of the ideas I had for this are more clear to try and write out than others.


End file.
